Distinction,integration and identity: Motivations for local language literacy in Senegalese communities

Successful adult literacy and basic education programs are notoriously difficult to achieve. One reason for this has to do with how the question, “literacy for what?” is answered for a given program. All too frequently, the answer to that question is shaped more by the goals of the literacy provider than it is by learners’ own goals and desires.     

Assessment of individual differences in phonological representation

Individual differences in abilities to form, access, and hone phonological representations of words are implicated in the development of oral and written language. This study addressed two important gaps in the literature concerning measurement of individual differences in phonological representation. First, we empirically examined the dimensionality of phonological representation abilities. Second, we empirically compared how well typical measures index various representation-related phonological processing abilities. Specifically, nine measures of accessibility to and distinctness of phonological presentations were administered to 175 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children. Confirmatory factor analysis validated three separate but correlated phonological processing abilities, i.e., efficiency of accessing phonological codes, precision of phonological codes as reflected in speech production, and precision of phonological codes as reflected in speech perception. The named phonological processing abilities were equally good measures of a second-order phonological representation factor. While most prototypic measures were excellent indicators of first-order phonological abilities, they were only modest indicators of phonological representation.     

Attention deficit disorders: characteristics,assessment, and interventions

ABSTRACT

In the United States, there is an increasing prevalence of children who are diagnosed with an attention deficit disorder (ADD). The essential features of ADD are developmentally inappropriate degrees of inattention, impulsivity, and motor hyperactivity. The rate of prevalence could differ in other countries depending on the definition of the condition. This article will review related research in the United States about ADD which will include the following topics: differential diagnosis and assessment, treatment, interventions, and parent training. The overlap of ADD with other handicaps will be described as well as assessment techniques such as interviews, rating scales, and observations. Studies of the efficacy of medication, educational interventions, cognitive‐behavioral strategies, and parent training are reviewed. In the conclusion, suggestions for further research are outlined which may further assist youngsters with ADD to adjust at school, in the home, and in the community.     

A THEOLOGICAL METHOD FOR ADULT EDUCATION ROOTED IN THE WORKS OF TRACY AND LONERGAN

While the academic debate on whether the hermeneutical methodology of David Tracy is compatible with, complementary to, or antithetical to the theological method outlined by Bernard Lonergan, one program‐‐die Loyola Institute for Ministry Extension Program (LIMEX)‐‐has drawn aspects of its educational methodology from both sources for more than seventeen years. This essay presents an overview of how LIMEX has adapted Tracy's and Lonergan's methodologies into a synthesis that highlights the strengths of both approaches.